JPH0461646B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a seat reclining device for an automobile, and more particularly to a manual reclining device equipped with a gear mechanism that allows the seat back of an automobile to be freely tilted manually. This invention relates to a seat reclining device.

[Prior Art and its Problems] Automobile seats typically include a seat portion fixed to a seat holding frame. This holding frame is attached to the floor of the vehicle and is usually formed in the shape of a rail whose position can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction. The seat back or backrest is attached to the seat via a seat back support member. If the seat is of a reclining type in which the seat back rotates relative to the seat, the seat must be provided with a fixing mechanism and a release mechanism. Seat reclining mechanisms typically include a base that is attached to the seat structure. A seat back support member is pivotally attached to this base, so that the entire seat can be moved back and forth. Various types of fixing mechanisms and release mechanisms for holding the seat bag at a predetermined angle relative to the seat are known. One type of this is to attach a notched wheel to one side of the seat or seat back.
On the other side is a ratchet mechanism with a pawl member attached. When the claw member is removed from the notched wheel, the seat back is released and can freely rotate about the pivot. Other types include locking and releasing the seat back either directly or articulately via a gear mechanism.

These conventional locking and releasing mechanisms have certain drawbacks. Since the seat back must withstand large forces, the fixing mechanism must have a strong and sturdy structure at the pivot point between the seat back and the seat. This is not desirable from the standpoint of reducing weight and increasing fuel efficiency. Another problem with such locking and releasing mechanisms is that they release and lock rapidly. If the passenger tries to fold down the seat back, since the fixing mechanism is made up of a ratchet and a pawl member, once the pawl member is removed, there is nothing to restrict the seat back. Such a seat does not have a smooth engagement/disengagement action that smoothly releases the clutch action, that is, the force that restricts the rotation of the seat back, moves it to the passenger's desired position, and re-engages the fixing mechanism at this position. . There is no fixing mechanism or release mechanism in conventional seats that can be set to an intermediate position. A declutching or partial release action in this locking mechanism is desirable.

A final problem with conventional seats is that the tilting position of the locking mechanism is limited by the number of notches in the ratchet wheel. Since it is necessary to increase the strength of the fixing mechanism, it is not preferable to make the notches small and closely spaced, and to increase the number of positions. Additionally, the number of tilt positions is limited by the need for extremely strong notches and projections on the ratchet wheel. As for the fixing mechanism, it is desirable that the set position can be changed steplessly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve a fixing mechanism for a reclining seat.

[Means, actions and effects for solving the problems] The seat reclining device according to the present invention includes a sector gear coupled to a seat back support member;
a first gear mechanism having a pivot means for pivotally connecting the seat back support member to a base frame; a first gear mechanism having a first gear and a second gear meshing with the sector gear;
a second gear mechanism having a first gear and a second gear meshing with a second gear of the gear mechanism; a clutch spool having a gear meshing with a second gear of the second gear mechanism; and spring means for blocking and securing the seat bag. This spring means has two coil springs wound in opposite directions and installed in tandem on the clutch spool, and when these coil springs are tensioned, the clutch spool is prevented from rotating, and the seat back is Fixing the support member in the selected position. Furthermore, a clutch release means for moving the seat back support member is provided, and the clutch release means has a release lever attached to the base frame and one end disposed between the protruding ends of each of the two coil springs. It has a vertically long release plate that is attached to the base frame and slides along the base frame in response to the movement of the release lever, and when the release plate is moved in the direction away from the clutch spool, the release plate One end moves each tip of the coil spring in a separating direction to reduce the tension in each coil spring means and permit rotation of the clutch spool and movement of the seat back support member.

According to this seat reclining device, the clutch spool connected to the seat back support member through the first and second gear mechanisms is prevented from rotating by two coil springs wound in opposite directions.
Therefore, even if a force is applied to the seat back support member in any direction, rotation of the seat back support member is prevented. When the release plate is moved in a direction away from the clutch spool by the release lever, the ends of the release plate reduce the tension of the two coil springs, allowing the clutch spool to rotate freely. As a result, when the seat back support member is rotated in a desired direction, this movement is transmitted to the clutch spool, which is free to rotate, via the first and second gear mechanisms, and the seat back support member is rotated to the desired position. be able to. After the seat back support member is placed at a desired position, when the release plate is returned using the release lever, the clutch spool is fixed again by the two coil springs, preventing movement of the seat back support member.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the seat back support member can be tilted steplessly to any desired position, and the seat back support member can be accurately and reliably fixed at a desired position with the small force of the two coil springs. can.

A seat back or backrest is attached to a seat back support member. This seat back support member is a vertically elongated metal member, and its edges can be formed into a flange shape to increase its strength. The seat back support member is connected by a pivot pin that is inserted through a through hole provided near the lower end. The pivot pin is mounted between a longitudinally elongated outer plate and an inner plate, which are held at a predetermined distance from each other by spacer members such as rivets to form a base frame. This base frame is attached to the structural body of the seat portion. The base frame and seat back support member are typically located at the outer edge of the seat assembly. Therefore, when making adjustments or repairs, the seat frame and seat back support member can be easily accessed by simply removing the cover plate.

The sector gear is attached to the lower part of the seat back support member, usually by welding. This sector gear has a fan shape that is a part of a circular gear, and has a through hole in the center of the curved edge. Additionally, curved edges are formed on the gear. The sector gear has a locking pin that extends between the flat surfaces and is located intermediate the through hole and the edge of the gear. The through hole receives a pivot pin for pivoting the seat back support member and base frame relative to each other. A locking pin extends through a curved slot in the outer plate of the base frame. Therefore, rotation of the seat back support member is limited by the length of this curved slot.

The first gear mechanism has a small diameter gear and a large diameter gear,
The openings through these central axes are aligned with each other and mounted on the same axis. These large and small gears rotate together with this mounting shaft. This mounting shaft is composed of a pin supporting a gear, and both ends thereof project into openings in the outer and inner plates of the base frame. The small diameter gear meshes with the gear edge of the sector gear. In general,
A coil spring is auxiliary attached to one end of the attachment shaft, that is, the pin protruding from the outer plate of the base frame. One end extending from the coiled portion at one end of this spring is engaged with the outer plate. A small-diameter gear comes into contact with the surface of the pin to which the spring is attached. Therefore, when the seat bag is moved from the tilted position to the raised position, this spring applies a rotational force to the small diameter gear and the sector gear attached to the seat back support member that meshes with the small diameter gear.

The second gear mechanism includes a small-diameter gear and a large-diameter gear, the openings of which pass through the center axis are aligned with each other,
mounted on the same shaft. These large and small gears rotate together with the mounting shaft. The mounting shaft is formed by a pin whose ends extend into openings in the outer and inner plates of the base frame. The small diameter gear meshes with the large diameter gear of the first gear mechanism. The clutch spool has a central axis through which a pin is received whose ends extend into openings in the outer and inner plates of the base frame. The clutch spool includes a gear that meshes with the large-diameter gear of the second gear mechanism, and rotates together with the gear on the mounting shaft. Two coil springs are wound around the periphery of this clutch spool. The winding directions of these springs are opposite to each other and are arranged in tandem, side by side, on the clutch spool. One end of each spring extends outwardly from each other and is positioned laterally adjacent and vertically spaced apart. The tension of these springs holds the clutch spool against rotation, and thus, through the action of the various intermeshed gears, holds the seat back support member against rotation.
Advantageously, the use of two springs wound in opposite directions prevents rotation of the clutch spool in either direction. However, it is also possible to use a single spring with an appropriate tension.

The clutch release plate is mounted on a support pin provided on the outer plate of the base frame. The clutch release plate is formed of a vertically elongated metal member, and a support pin is accommodated in a slot formed in the release plate so that the clutch release plate can be slid. The ends of the clutch release plate are located within the vertical gaps between the spring ends on the clutch spool. If only one spring is used, secure the end of this release plate to the spring. The clutch release lever has an opening which receives one of the support pins of the release plate, so that the release lever is pivotable about this support pin. The handle typically extends from the release lever. The end of the release lever extends into the opening in the release plate or is otherwise engaged with the release plate so that rotation of the release lever moves the release plate forward along its slot. Make it. As the release plate slides, the ends of the release plate separate the prongs or ends of the spring wrapped around the clutch spool, so that the force holding the clutch spool is proportional to the rotation of the release lever. Only loosen. When the release lever is released, the spring returns to its original position and pulls the release plate rearward, holding the clutch spool at its original full tension. This allows the seat back to be fixed at any tilted position.

The clutch or engagement mechanism of the seat recliner does not need to be large and heavy because the gear mechanism reduces the force on the clutch spool to about one-twentieth of the force on the seat bag. This clutch mechanism can either be partially released to allow the seat back to tilt slightly, or completely released to allow a large and rapid incline. Finally, the clutch mechanism using this spool allows the seat back to be tilted steplessly at any angle.

The above configuration in which two sets of gear mechanisms are provided between the sector gear and the clutch spool is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is also possible to provide one or three or more sets of this gear mechanism. The important point is to reduce the load on the seat bag to a level that can be secured by the spring wrapped around the clutch spool. The minimum force required for this fixation is determined by industry standards.

[Embodiment] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a seat reclining device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The seat back support member 10 is formed of a vertically elongated metal member, and a backrest or seat back 10, only a portion of which is shown, is attached to it. The seat back support member 10 is formed with a through hole through which a pivot pin 14 is inserted. The sector gear 16 has a sector or wedge shape and is attached to the seat back support member 10 by welding or the like. The sector gear 16 has a through hole through which the pivot pin 14 is inserted, so that the sector gear 16 and the seat back support member 10 can rotate about the pivot pin 14. The sector gear 16 further includes a curved edge shaped like a gear. The locking pin 20 extends from the flat surface of the sector gear at a position proximate to the intermediate position between the pivot pin 14 receiving hole and the curved edge 18.

The base frame consists of a vertically long outer plate 24 and an inner plate 2.
6, and these outer plates and inner plates are held at predetermined intervals by a plurality of spacers indicated by the reference numeral 30. One end of the outer plate 24 and the inner plate 26 extend upwardly and include an opening through which the pivot pin 14 is inserted. Therefore, the seat back support member 1
0 can rotate about the pivot pin 14 relative to the base frame. A curved slot 22 is formed in the outer plate 14, and a locking pin 20 of the sector gear 16 is inserted through the slot 22. The length of the slot 22 limits the rotation of the seat back support member 10. Only a portion of the seat portion 28 of the seat attached to the base frame is shown.

The first gear mechanism 33 has a small diameter gear 34 and a large diameter gear 36 mounted on a mounting shaft 38, and rotates concentrically. This mounting shaft 38 is mounted through openings in the outer plate 24 and the inner plate 26. The small diameter gear 34 meshes with a gear portion formed on the curved edge 18 of the sector gear 16 . An end 42 of the mounting shaft 38 projects from the outer plate 24. One end of the auxiliary spring 43 is inserted into the end 42 of the mounting shaft, and the other end is attached to the outer plate 24. The auxiliary spring 43 transmits rotational torque to the seat back support member 10 via the small diameter gear 34 and the sector gear 16, and serves to return the seat back support member 10 from the tilted position to the upright position.

The second gear mechanism 35 has a small diameter gear 52 and a large diameter gear 54 mounted on a mounting shaft 56, and rotates concentrically. The mounting shaft 56 is mounted in an opening between the outer plate 24 and the inner plate 26. The small diameter gear 52 is the first
It meshes with the large diameter gear 36 of the gear mechanism.

A cylindrical clutch spool 60 has an axial opening and is rotatably mounted on a mounting shaft 64 extending between openings in the outer and inner plates 24, 26. This clutch spool 60 has a small diameter gear 6.
2 is attached, and the large diameter gear 5 of the second gear mechanism
It meshes with 4. Two coil springs 66 and 68 are attached to the outer periphery of the clutch spool 60 in a tandem configuration, that is, with their backs juxtaposed. The springs 66, 68 are wound in opposite directions, and have respective prongs or ends 67, 6.
9 extend from the top and bottom of clutch spool 60, thus creating a gap between these ends 67,69. The other ends 73, 75 of the springs 66, 68 are secured to appropriate ones of the outer and inner plates 24, 26. These springs 66,6
8 is tensioned, the clutch spool 60 is held so as not to rotate, and the seat back support member 10 is prevented from rotating about the pivot shaft 14 via the first and second gear mechanisms 33 and 35.

The clutch release plate 70 is formed in a vertically long bar shape,
This end 72 extends into the gap formed between the spring ends 67, 69. The release plate 70 is in the slot 7
4 and 76, and support pins 77 and 82 are inserted into the slots 74 and 76, respectively, to attach the release plate 70 to the outer plate 24. Release plate 70
is provided with an opening 78 near one end into which the projection of the release lever 80 is inserted. This release lever 80 has an opening through which a support pin 82 is inserted, and is attached to the support pin through this opening. Also,
A release handle 84 is attached to the support pin 82. A return spring 83 is attached to the support pin 82 and its end is attached to the spacer.

When the release lever 84 is rotated, the release lever 80
pulls the release plate 70 through the aperture 78, thereby causing the release plate 70 to move laterally away from the clutch spool 60. End portion 72 of release plate 70
contacts the ends 67, 69 of each spring, separating the ends from each other and loosening each spring on clutch spool 60. Therefore, the clutch spool 60 is free to rotate, and the first and second gear mechanisms 3
Through the rotations 3 and 35, the sector gear 16 and the support 10 can be freely rotated until the seat back 12 is in the desired adjustment position. When the release handle 84 is released, the return spring 83 acts on the release plate 70 to move it towards the clutch spool 60. The end 72 of the release plate 70 moves to be released from contact with the ends 67, 69 of each spring 66, 68, and the ends 67, 6 of each of these springs are moved.
9 can also be moved. Therefore, spring 6
6 and 68 are retensioned on the clutch spool 60 to hold the clutch spool and prevent it from rotating. The seat back support member 10 is fixed via first and second gear mechanisms 33, 35 and a sector gear 16.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a seat reclining device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 2--2 in FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Seat back support member, 12...Seat back, 14...Pivot pin, 16...Sector gear, 20...Lock pin, 22, 74, 76...Slot, 24...Outside plate, 26...Inside Board, 28
... Seat seat, 30 ... Spacer, 33, 35
...Gear mechanism, 34, 36, 52, 54, 62...
... Gear, 66, 68 ... Spring, 70 ... Release plate,
80...Release lever, 84...Handle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A sector gear coupled to a seat back support member, a pivot means for pivotally connecting the seat back support member to a base frame, and a first gear and a second gear meshing with the sector gear. a clutch spool having a first gear mechanism; a second gear mechanism having a first gear and a second gear meshing with a second gear of the first gear mechanism; and a clutch spool having a gear meshing with a second gear of the second gear mechanism. and two coil springs are wound in opposite directions and installed in tandem on the clutch spool, and when these coil springs are tensioned, the clutch spool is prevented from rotating, and the seat back is supported. spring means for fixing the member in a selected position; a release lever mounted on the base frame; and a release lever mounted on the base frame with one end disposed between the protruding ends of each of the two coil springs;
It has a vertically long release plate that slides along the base frame in response to the movement of the release lever, and when the release plate is moved in a direction away from the clutch spool, one end of the release plate touches the coil spring. Clutch release means for moving the protruding ends of the clutch in a separating direction to reduce the tension of each coil spring means, thereby permitting rotation of the clutch spool and movement of the seat back support member.